On Thursday last, Australia's premium department store David Jones launched their online store which covers 1,500 products across several categories, including fashion, accessories, beauty, books and home wares.David Jones were certainly early adopters of the online business when they launched their e-store almost eight years ago now (circa 2003) if our memory serves correctly. They really were pioneers at the time, the issue being it was too early a strategy, consumers had not entirely gotten their heads around online purchasing and it really was the early adopters who were actually purchasing. Unfortunately the numbers were not enough, a wider audience was needed to embrace this initiative. It would have been an expensive exercise as the logistics and input dollars for this project we believe must not have been achieving the forecast ROI as David Jones eventually decided to close the online store, after only a few seasons.
What a decade or so can do.... in our opinion it is the right move for the brand to do this now, Australian consumers are increasingly seeking out online retail opportunities locally and internationally, if David Jones was to sit on their respective hounds tooth hands any longer it may be harder to add a successful online offer. They can own this space if they do it well.
So what does it look like? Let's just say it's a relatively safe offer, we imagine stocked full of some best selling products, yet a good way to start. Easy to navigate, quick download times (and we know how important that is) and reasonable delivery windows. As we have said here at The MO Down before, luxury and premium brands owe several variables to their ongoing success yet one very fundamental point is 'control', by brands venturing into the online shopping space concerns were raised about the exposure and control of who and how the site is managed....well this is David Jones site and they can control it all the way through. The next big objective for them we'd like to imagine is getting more brands and some international fashion brands on board to really make their offer compelling, isn't it about that after all!
Image credit:davidjones.com
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